When parties and governments start leaking from within it is usually a bonanza for journalists and political commentators.

National will be worried that minutes from a recent top-level board meeting appear to have been leaked widely.

Of particular interest is a report by senior whip Michael Woodhouse about a "disturbing discussion that he has had with Simon Lusk that highlighted his motivations and a very negative agenda for the party".

The Standard speculates that the leak is a continuation of the Judith Collins vs Steven Joyce faction fight to succeed John Key – see: Nat Civil War: ceasefire breached.

They also speculate the Collins faction doesn’t want a close relationship with the Conservative Party because it inhabits the ideological terrain where Collins and co want to take National itself, preferring an ACT-like coalition partner.

The more socially-liberal Joyce faction is looking to work with the Conservatives, allowing National to retain a more liberal political position.

Trevor Mallard, who apparently also received the minutes, reveals that it was agreed at the board meeting that Lusk "represents a serious risk to the Party and this issue will be followed up with a further meeting between the President and the Whip" – see: Nat Board has a no Lusk policy.

The story is worth following up, according to Scott Yorke, but he advises Mallard to leave it to journalists rather than reducing Labour to the status of muckrackers – see: Keeping It Clean.

Meanwhile, David Farrar acknowledges that the leaking of the minutes is a serious issue and even suggests they should undertake secret tracking measures in future to identify the source – see: National Board documents.

Internal debate about Labour’s leadership is not being aired in public at the moment but Chris Trotter still thinks Cunliffe is carefully positioning himself with the party faithful as the next Labour leader – see: Cunliffe primed for gorilla warfare.

Cunliffe’s manoeuvring is obvious, according to John Moore, but he says that Cunliffe’s rebranding as a Left-wing leader is "tenuous and opportunistic", pointing to his previous support for Public Private Partnerships as evidence of his centrist political tendencies – see his blogpost, The Cunliffe Conspiracy.

Radio New Zealand’s political judgement has been called into question by Chris Trotter in Right versus ... Centre Right?! where he questions their choice of Labour’s Josie Pagani as the representative of the left.

National has opened a huge ideological can of worms by deciding to introduce free contraception for welfare beneficiaries. Talkback radio and public comments are in overdrive.

Politicians, Churches, moral conservatives, family planning groups, feminists and welfare advocates are all having their say as well, but it’s interesting that the battle lines are not strictly left and right.

The two main issues are how the funding is targeted at just female beneficiaries and the involvement and potential power of WINZ case workers over what many see should be a strictly medical and personal issue.

What is interesting is that the arguments largely ignore the main reason given by the Government for the sale: to reduce public debt, and instead focus on the benefits the sales will have for New Zealand’s struggling capital markets.

While this may have appeal in the financial sector, selling government assets to boost private investment companies is likely to be seen as an example of corporate welfare, particularly given the suggestion that getting the highest possible price shouldn’t be the government’s main priority.

If the champions of free markets want to use public assets to pump up investment funds then maybe Treasury should investigate the corporate equivalent of an IUD to prevent future generations of state dependent investment bankers.

John Key has said he thinks it is unlikely that the source of the latest embarrassing Mfat leak will ever be found, but the Government has launched an independent investigation anyway – see: John Hartevelt’s Rebstock to investigate MFAT rejig leak.

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3 Comments & Questions

Something is Rotten in the State of NZ's parliament. 'Whistle-blowing' I can accept, when something is hidden which should be released or investigated, but leaking info that will be released shortly, or minutes which participants believe are confidential, so they can be frank, is frankly wrong. Should lead to instant dismissal.